Sevinj Samadzade (Universiteit Gent)
Abstract
This lecture critically interrogates the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through a feminist lens, questioning both the historical and contemporary peacebuilding efforts that often fail to address the deep-rooted issues of militarism, nationalism, and gender injustices inherently connected with the conflict context. It challenges the prevailing liberal peace frameworks that see gendered inclusion as immanence within the already patriarchal power structures rather than dismantling them. By focusing on the Armenian-Azerbaijani context, the lecture critiques how peacebuilding initiatives have historically sidelined the lived experiences of women and other marginalized genders in conflict zones.
Drawing from the stories of women in both Armenia and Azerbaijan, the lecture reveals the contradictions between peace rhetoric and the reality of heightened militarized masculinities and nationalism, which frequently exclude or instrumentalize women’s subjectivities. This approach critically reflects on the very nature of peacebuilding, calling into question whether current models truly foster sustainable peace or perpetuate cycles of violence and exclusion. It ultimately argues for a radical rethinking of peace and security, one that places the transformative potential of feminist approaches at the centre of conflict resolution efforts.
Bio
Sevinj Samadzade is a PhD Fellow at Ghent University, affiliated with both the Department of Political Science and the Department of Social Work and Social Pedagogy. She also holds a fellowship at the United Nations University-CRIS, where she is part of the Migration and Social Policy Cluster. Her PhD research explores the ways social work practices can reproduce geopolitical dynamics, aiming to deepen the understanding of the interaction between global and local scales in social welfare provisions.
Sevinj earned her master’s degree in Middle East, Caucasus, and Central Asian Security Studies from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Her work has primarily focused on the gender, peace, and security nexus in the South Caucasus region. With over a decade of experience working with various civil society groups in Azerbaijan and Georgia, she has been involved in processes related to dealing with the past, researching alternative histories, and the daily politics of armed conflicts. Additionally, she has implemented gender and peace education throughout the wider region.